new HTPC Build - reuse old components..good enough though?

gazjam

gazjam

gazjam

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ok,
so getting new flat tv soon, ideal time to set up PC/internet etc in the lounge.

Everythings being driven by the purchase of the new telly.
Initially I was going to buy a PS3/XBox for gaming as I see myself enjoying a good game on my new 50" screen, but thought better of it and my plan now is to get myself up and running first THEN upgrade core components to a proper Gaming machine for the lounge.

Initially though, my HTPC will be used for internet surfing,email,Youtube, IPlayer, the odd blast at MAME, streaming (non 1080p) movies over a wired GB network from my server...etc.
Nothing TOO graphically or CPU intensive.
Hopefully my "stand in" spec will be ok for that?

The gaming/bluray stuff can come later when I upgrade motherboard/cpu/ram when the pennies are there, For now though, its a spec that uses existing components and saves me money! :p

My question is will my bits I have spare enable me to do the initial things listed above that I wish for my lounge HTPC?

MY CURRENT SPARE BITS...

* Asrock 775Dual-VSTA motherboard (Full ATX size)
* Intel 6400 Core 2 Duo CPU
* 2GB DDR2 OCZ XTC Rev2 PC2-6400C4 8000MHz Dual Channel ram
* ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Graphics AGP Card (an oldie but a goodie!)
* Spare 1TB hard drive (will have access to server so not too fussed here)


The idea is to plonk these bits of kit into a nice HTPC case, buy a wireless KB and mouse, set it up with Windows 7 (or XP?) and Im good to go.
After saving for a bit I can upgrade the Motherboard, chip, ram and graphics card to give me a full strength gaming/1080p video HTPC.

Sound lke a reasonable plan?
I think my "stand in" build is reasonably ok for what I need, at least in the short term, just wanted to ask here and see what you guys think. :)

So all I need for now is a good HTPC case and PSU that will be transferrable to a higher spec build later on...any suggestions?
I dont want to pay a fortune for the case, but would be good to get one that fits in my rack alongside my black AV amps etc and wont cost a fortune.
About £130 for the case, £50 for the PSU, less if I can get away with it!?

Later on when upgrading, I will be moving up to at least ATI 5850 extreme graphics card wise, CPU...maybe one of the lower Sandybridges..
Perhaps an OCUK "bundle" would be a good bet here?

So a PSU to power that kind of kit would be good.

thanks! :)
 
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The build above should run most things fine; especially at 720p.
The Core2 SHOULD be OK for most stuff, but if you do run into any isues with 1080p video when you move on, sticking a £30-40 modern GPU into the machine to decode via DXVA rather than CPU should sort you out nicely.

Only thing I would say is do some reading up before choosing the wireless keyboard and mouse. I found out a couple of years ago that a lot of the cheap ones have an appalling reliable range, regardless of what they said on the box.

I haven't looked at the available cases for a little while so I'll leave that aside. I've got OcUK's Opera case. It looks feels a bit cheap compared to the likes of the Antecs, but it takes full height cards and full ATX boards which a lot of the smaller HTPC designed cases don't. I'd recommend one as a cheap stepping stone, but you mention upgrading to a large GPU, and not sure they'd all fit as the GPU is usually mounted across from the PSU in this case.

I'm not sure whether it'd fit in your AV rack, but it does fit in my custom unit, and is sitting on a shelf above my Yammy amplifier.
That said, as it is pretty cost effective, you could always go for this now, and a larger, nicer case when you go for the upgrade.

In terms of PSU though, I'd all out recommend the Nexus Value 430, or it's bigger brothers. EXTREMELY quiet under moderate load (which was why I chose it based on reviews on SilentPC and the likes); and if I remember, when I bought mine it cost around the £50 mark.

Oddly enough; in my HTPC running the Nexus, a few low RPM Sharkoons and a heavily modified Zalman cooler, it's the air moved by the custom fan on the Zalman that makes any noticeable noise. The Nexus and Sharkoons are all but silent from more than a few inches away as is the air flow of the CPU fan unless you really listen.
[The stock Zalman fan was horribly whiny by comparison!]


PPS. OcUK's Opera case does actually come with a cheap [winpower?] PSU that I keep as a backup; however the Nexus is by far quieter.

For reference, my HTPC:
2.7Ghz AMD 5200+ X2 (AM2+) /w Zalman cooler and custom fan
2GB DDR2
40GB OCZ Vertex 2e
Passive GT220
Win7 x64
XBMC [DSPlayer variant] setup as windows shell, with MPC-HC, and fundamentals installed for backup/testing :)
External 2TB 5400 drive.

Swear the 5400 external drive is the loudest bit :D
If I'd mounted the external drive internally via SATA, it'd have cut down the PC's boot times (as the USB2.0 drive detection and reinitialisation during load slows boot) and noise most likely, but was far more handy for me to have the drive externally to transfer stuff to and from.
 
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The Bequiets are also another [usually] good option :)

I went for the Nexus and the slight premium it carried because I was going for as quiet as possible, without the relatively extreme cost of passive (which is why installed a custom fan into the Zalman), but in your case that may not be such an issue!
 
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Thanks guys,
so with my current CPU and ram....
if I upgraded to a proper GFX card I'd be able to play 1080p video...?

Just as my spec stands at the moment?
 
I have seen in the MM a nice 3450 AGP HDMI output card for £15. This will run 1080p all day long and not break the bank if u still want to keep your existing hardware.

This is one of the latest AGP cards to be made but is not for playing top end games but will sure be a great improvement to your current card.
 
Full size ATX Mobo and nice HTPC case are multually exclusive aren't they?

Not got any experience with the OcUK Opera to determine if it's "nice".
 
OcUK Opera are basic cases, they are good for size but not very good for storage as they only have 1 port for the HDD.

Build quality is ok but not the best and if you have black and chrome TV and Stand they look fine. Just make sure you check the sizes as they are not as wide as the antec cases but are a lot longer from front to back.
 
I had a look around at cases and I'd be going for the Silverstone LC17, great match for my other AV kit and a popular choice online.
Able to fit a full length monster gfx card in too, which a lot of cases cant accommodate.
The last case I'd ever need methinks.

Thanks for the tip on the graphics card too..238 posts though not quite there for the MM yet!
:)
 
Claire Drew said:
I have seen in the MM a nice 3450 AGP HDMI output card for £15. This will run 1080p all day long and not break the bank if u still want to keep your existing hardware.

This is one of the latest AGP cards to be made but is not for playing top end games but will sure be a great improvement to your current card.
Click to expand...

As I remember, the Dual Vista board took both PCI-E and AGP. He could get something much newer than the 3450, which if he read up carefully, potentially would have a more versatile decoder chip; especially if he paid a bit more and went for something like a GT430, or a 6570 (although for HTPC purposes I prefer Nvidia cards so far for decoding, as I find the video compatibility a tiny bit better).

I've got a 3650 around being used in a media PC at the moment, and it's being swapped out as we speak, because compatibility across the range of files available isn't as good as newer cards.
 
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Personally, I've always prefered Nvidia cards in HTPC's, even though ATI has massively upped thier game with the HTPC market in the last few years, simply as I found them less susceptible to occasional artifacts or any wierdness when being used as a decoder; but that's personal experience, and the vast majority of files I've played work fine with either.
TBH as you want to run 720p, you should be able to do this on the CPU fine without having to resort to DXVA\CUDA video decoding anyway if you do encounter any issues.

For a mixed usage card; the 5850 is a decent gaming card; the only thing I will say however, is check your PSU is up to the job :)

With my own experience in mind, I would say perhaps also consider an Nvidia 460 card for your PC as well, they're in the same performance ballpark and can be had around the same price, and since the 4 series, Nvidia have more or less caught up when it comes to media playback and HDMI audio capabilities.
 
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